About Us

Westlake Pro is an iconic pro audio supplier and studio designer based in Los Angeles. With deep roots in LA’s music scene and a heritage that goes back to the late 60’s, Westlake Pro has equipped clients with the gear, design, and studios needed to produce signature sounds that persist the test of time.

The Westlake brand has evolved over the years, from a small electronics company in Tom Hidley’s garage to three world-class businesses. Each is a staple in the audio community, and Westlake Pro is honored to be a part of this legendary pedigree.

1969 – Westlake Audio

Westlake Audio began humbly in 1969 when founder Tom Hidley (an accomplished studio technician) started doing custom electronic work for recording studios. The business quickly evolved into manufacturing loudspeakers, as well as designing and building studios, and Hidley soon developed a reputation as one of the world’s premiere acousticians. Westlake Audio set out to create the most sonically-accurate loudspeakers possible, and their innovative hand-made speaker design is still a favorite of studios around the world.

Westlake Recording Studios was founded as Westlake Audio in the early 1970s, and was conceived as a showroom of sorts for their line of speakers and studio design work. Rooms were acoustically standardized and designed to provide a flat frequency response at the console position. The revolutionary design quickly became very popular, and by the end of the decade there were “Westlake rooms” in studios all over the world.

Most notably is the music that has been made at Westlake Recording Studios. Michael Jackson’s Thriller was recorded in Studio A, where he and Quincy Jones were fixtures during the late 70’s and early 80’s. Following the success of Thriller, the studio expanded to a second location, where Studio D was built specifically for Michael and Quincy, who used it to work on the subsequent albums Dangerous and Bad.

Other hit albums recorded at Westlake include Van Halen’s 2, Alanis Morrissette’s Jagged Little Pill, and many more. Westlake is still a favorite of top artists today, including Beyonce, Eminem, Justin Timberlake, and Katy Perry.

Through the years, Westlake Pro has evolved from a small sales division above Westlake Recording Studios into one of the leading pro audio retailers in the world. In an industry dominated by big box stores with impersonal customer service, Westlake Pro has managed to create it’s own identity and stand out from the pack with their experienced and knowledgeable sales staff, commitment to customer service, highest quality technical services, and relationships with top brands.